Baptism by Fire
by Syltphademus
Summary: He wanted someone to care for him. She wanted to protect him. Two beings brought together by fate and kept together by necessity. But can there ever be a true happy ending?
1. And So It Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I really want to. To much pressure from fame and fortune...

Personal note: There will be some changes to age and everything. I am aware of this and these are pruposeful

* * *

He watched the children, though they really couldn't be called children anymore, seeing as how shinobi were seen as adults in the eyes of the village, exiting the academy building, running to excited parents and siblings about their promotions. The swing rocked back and forth gently, oblivious to its occupant's anger and frustration. The dirt beneath the swing he rested upon began to show a furrow from the movement of his shoe. Grumbling something incoherent, he ignored the heated glares and whispered remarks from those who were there to pick up fresh graduates. Some criticized him for even attempting to take the exam, while others wore smirks at the boy's failure. A few laughed at the fact that a boy of sixteen had been unable to do what twelve year old children had found so easy. Life could be so cruel sometimes.

The blond left the swing set and made to return home. This was his third time that he had failed the test to become an official shinobi of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. While most children succeeded in their first attempt, he had the unfortunate pleasure of being unable to perform the simplest of techniques for three years. He sighed while he thought of his abilities. His martial prowess in taijutsu consisted of attempting to throw wild haymakers while hoping that any opponent would be blind enough to be hit by such sloppy and obvious attacks. His skill in ninjutsu was abysmal, only understanding the Kawarimi at an operable level. The Bunshin no jutsu, the easiest of all clone techniques, eluded his grasp no matter how hard he tried. Academy students were expected to be able to create three clones which looked exactly like their creator. He couldn't even create one workable clone, let alone multiple. The last aspect of the shinobi repertoire, genjutsu, was non existent. His Henge jutsus were always missing key features of the target, such as his instructor's distinct scar.

He kicked a stone in his path, watching it sail forward a few feet. It was not for a lack of trying that he couldn't perform up to par. His first and second years the instructor had simply ignored all of his cries for help and had deliberately made things more difficult, pairing him with the best in class despite the fact that he was the worst. When he needed help studying for a test, or when he wanted a partner for practice, he was ignored by all of the other students. Even though the third year instructor, Iruka, had not attempted to sabotage his learning, the damage that had been dealt was sufficient to forever stunt his growth. He had sworn that if he failed his third test, he would give up being a shinobi forever, and his last test resulted in the same as his previous.

"Naruto!"a voice called out. The boy turned upon hearing his name and saw the assistant instructor Mizuki calling him. He had been one of the people watching his exam. The man put a hand on the boy's shoulder, an easy feat given the boy's uncharacteristic shortness, and gave a sincere smile to the boy who was almost a young man. "How are you doing, Naruto? I'm sorry about the test." The boy stared down at the dirt, the emotions from his failure still running high. The white-haired man was obviously just trying to comfort him. "Iruka and I talked about it afterwards, and though I tried to let you pass, he was against sending you out if you were unprepared." Naruto felt his hands ball into fists at the thought. He was perfectly capable of surviving without the stupid jutsu. He would have found a way. Taking a deep breath, he released it and felt some of the tension leave his body. That sad smile that he gave to most of the people in the village appeared, and he showed it to the instructor.

"Thank you very much for the concern, Mizuki-sensei," he said cheerily, though anyone could hear the strain of emotion behind it. Light from the setting sun reflected off of the metal plate on the headband around the older man's forehead, and the rest of the words Naruto had to say caught themselves in his throat. As hard as he had tried, tears welled in the corners of his eyes. He sniffled as he wiped them away. Cursing all of his weaknesses, the boy began walking away from his instructor, disappointment fatiguing him. However, the hand on his shoulder did not budge and the white-haired man smiled at his young charge. "Mizuki-sensei?"

Mizuki led Naruto back toward the academy building, sitting them both on the swing set he had just vacated. "Now, Naruto, I wouldn't just have randomly brought up the test. I know that you are hurting and that you desperately want to become a ninja. Like I said, I talked with Iruka and he and I agreed that you didn't show the skills needed to become a genin." The blond flinched. "But, that doesn't mean you don't have some skills." Naruto perked up upon hearing what Mizuki was telling him. "It won't be easy, but there is a secondary test that students can take to advance past the academy. It was replaced with the current test at the end of the Third Shinobi World War. However, it is still a true test. No others may help you with it, and it is by far more difficult than the test you tried taking today. Do you think you can do it?"

Naruto had small tremors running across his body. The chance to fulfill his dream was still in front of him, and he had a second chance. Just as he was about to give his answer, he felt a buzzing in the back of his head. The buzzing grew and grew, until it eventually burst into a roar. Pain flooded through him. It felt as though his head was splitting open. He cried out as he convulsed on the ground, grasping at his head and trying anything he could to relieve the pain. He opened his eyes just enough to see Mizuki crouched over him, but he couldn't hear anything the man was saying. The pain increased by leaps and bounds as he lay there on the ground. When he thought it couldn't get any worse, he heard a strange sound coming from the back of his mind. He could barely make out anything when a voice rang out clear as day.

"Don't!"

His vision went red for the brief second that he heard the voice, and he saw Mizuki gasp and back away, his hand reaching for a pouch on his hip. Then, as suddenly as the pain had appeared, it vanished. Naruto blinked away a few tears and sat up, phantom pains still giving him convulsions. The buzzing was gone now, but he felt a peculiar emptiness inside of his mind.

The instructor still stood a ways away, but began checking on him as soon as the boy stood. "Are you okay, Naruto? That was pretty scary there." Naruto nodded and remembered what the voice had said. It was definitely female, and the desperation had been evident. He had also detected something else... anger? While he wasn't the sort to just listen to voices that appeared in his head, something told him to trust this one. As he opened his mouth to tell his sensei what had happened, he realized how absurd it would sound for him to talk about voices in his head. Mizuki might think he had psychological problems and rescind his make-up test. He gave a small smile to the older man and scratched the back of his head innocently.

"Sorry, Mizuki-sensei. I get these really bad headaches occasionally. I wish you hadn't seen that," Naruto said as he managed to look sheepish. Mizuki still had a questioning look on his face, but bought the excuse for the time being. Naruto brushed the dust and dirt off of his faded black pants and light grey shirt. They both sat in silence for a minute, wondering what had just occurred.

"So, about the test. Are you willing to try it?" Mizuki gave what looked like a heart-felt smile, but after the incident in his head, Naruto examined the man's face. Something was off here. The boy thought for a second and, still wondering if he should trust what the voice had said, followed his gut instinct.

"I'm sorry, Mizuki-sensei, but I don't think I can take another failure right now. Thank you for the offer, but I'll just try again next year." Mizuki let a flash of anger slip through his features, and Naruto was sure that he had made the correct choice. A smile quickly appeared back on the instructor's face, but this one did not reach his eyes. He stood and dusted himself off before patting the blond on the back.

"I wish you would at least try, but I understand why you wouldn't want to. If you change your mind, let me know. You have until midnight tonight to make a final decision." With that, Naruto hopped off of the swing and followed the same path he had before, missing the scornful look sent at his back as he walked away. Mumbling under his breath, the chuunin sensei returned to his duties within the academy building. He had a long night ahead of him.

* * *

Inside of a run-down apartment, Naruto tossed and turned in his sleep. A strange dream occupied his unconscious mind. He was floated in a vast nothingness, listlessly floating in the dark that carried his weightless form. Despite the void, a feeling of peace settled itself around him. He felt that nothing here would insult or attack him. It was a pleasant change from the waking world.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed a red light far away. As he turned to watch it, he noticed it growing larger and larger. He felt a presence that grew closer as the light grew larger. The presence touched at his mind. While strange and alien, it was also comforting. He sensed affection from the presence, and he allowed it to make contact with him. A figure appeared within the light; a woman bathed in red floated down from above him. She wore nothing on her person, but her flowing scarlet hair covered much of her body. Her features were hidden from him. He tried to catch a glimpse of her eyes and earned a soft smile for his efforts. She grasped onto him, pulling him into a close hug as she did. He felt warmth, calm, and something else radiating from her, but he could not place the last feeling.

The woman ran a hand through Naruto's hair, petting him softly as she simply held him. He remained rigid in her hold for several moments. The peace of mind that her presence gave him was something that he had never experienced before. When the he sensed sadness coming from the woman, he returned her affection, grabbing her tightly in his arms. Happiness flooded from the woman, bringing about more warmth from her. A smile teased its way onto his face as the two sat in the silence of the darkness. Finally, the woman pushed him away from her, holding him at arms length as her smile was replaced with a far more serious look. He felt the overwhelming pain again and found his cries silent as he tried to stop the agony. She brought him close to her person once more and he found that the pain eased itself, if only slightly. Much like before, he heard a sound, only this time it was much more forceful.

"Leave." It was the same voice as before, only this time it was much more clear. After he heard the word, the pain disappeared. He looked at the woman and attempted to ask if she was the one speaking, but found he could not make a sound. Making gestures with his hands, Naruto managed to communicate with her and asked if the woman was the one talking. She nodded in affirmation, and he felt a brief spike of pain. "You," the voice said again. There was a brief pause. "Danger." With each message, the pain was getting more and more bearable. He tried to ask her what she was referring to, but the mysterious woman looked in a direction away from him. The young man noticed two very long ears, much like a cat or a fox, on top of her head twitching as if locating the source of a noise. He himself heard nothing, but the look of worry on his visitor's face was a cause for concern.

Suddenly, the woman shoved him away. He felt himself falling and vainly reached out to her. She smiled sadly as she gave a small wave as he continued his descent. Naruto called out to her, forgetting that no sound would escape him. He fell faster and faster as the woman and the red light grew farther and farther away.

With a jolt, Naruto hit the ground beside his bed. He groaned, rubbing his shoulder from its sudden acquaintance with the floor. His head was foggy, and he shook it to clear his mind. Remembering the dream, he quickly stood and went over everything that he had been told. The woman had seemed determined to get him to leave, but leave where? Did she want him to leave his home, or did she have something much bigger in mind. He looked at the clock on his bedside table. The florescent lights read that it was a quarter after four in the morning. Though it was rather early for him, a nice long shower and some breakfast might be just the thing he needed to sort everything out.

But as he was about to enter his bathroom, he heard a loud knocking coming from the front door. He was cautious to answer, as generally anyone who was up this early in the morning and wanted him did not have the best intentions. Slowly he opened the door just an inch. As he did so, something collided with it and forced it open the rest of the way, breaking the latch designed to prevent just such an occurrence. Naruto stumbled backward as he saw a figure clothed in the standard attire of a shinobi of Konoha. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but a strong hand grabbed his arm. His mind now working at full speed, he noticed the white hair and bandana on his assailant. However, instead of the cheerful and gentle expression that he was used to seeing on his Mizuki, now there was only one of pure hatred and disgust. Fear took over for the young man. Such a look was common for him to see, and it usually only promised one thing: pain.

The chuunin hoisted the blond up, never letting go of the tight grip on the younger man's arm. He sneered as he jerked the boy forward, forcing him to stumble. A bitter laugh escaped the instructor's throat as he watched the look of confusion and fear on his former student. From the pack on his shoulder he pulled out a large scroll, one which Naruto recognized as the Forbidden Scroll which contained the strongest and most secretive of jutsu and techniques. He didn't understand why Mizuki had the scroll. It was restricted to only jounin level or higher nin, and even they needed special permission from the leader of the village, the Hokage.

The white-haired man slammed Naruto into the wall, pulling out a kunai knife and holding it against his throat. "Now listen closely brat. You're going to sit there nice and quiet while I do this. If you so much as move a muscle or make a sound, you'll soon find out just how sharp a real one of these is." He pressed the blade just close enough to draw a thin red line across the boy's neck. "Understand?" The young man nodded slowly. He removed the kunai from the boy's throat and turned toward the scroll, pulling a smaller one and an inkwell with a brush from his pack. Then he began to copy the jutsu onto the empty scroll. As he did so, Naruto slumped down to the ground, the sudden reversal in his sensei's demeanor shocking and painful. He sat there for a minute before he finally found his voice.

"Why, Mizuki-sensei? Why are you doing this?" Though he already could guess the answer, he wanted to hear it from the man who he had only a little while ago been conversing with. The chuunin did not look up from his work, but a sneer crossed his face. He flung the kunai in his hand, embedding it a few inches into the boards of the wall beside Naruto's head. The blond flinched involuntarily, but a thousand thoughts flew threw his head. He needed to find an escape route. His sensei had been foolish enough to lend him a weapon he could use, and if he timed it right he might just be able to flee with only minor injuries.

When the man turned to look at a seal more closely, Naruto sprung into action. He grabbed the handle of the knife and pulled hard, successfully managing to pull it out of the wall. Mizuki looked up at the commotion and was caught off guard by the charging, screaming young man, who bowled over him and sent ink, weapons, and both men sprawling on the floor. Naruto quickly got up and made a dash for the floor, but screamed as he felt something bite into his ankle. He fell to the ground, smashing his face into the floorboards. He felt the crunch as cartilage snapped and blood flowed from the now broken nose. His hands reached for his foot and felt the sharpened points of a shuriken imbedded into his Achilles' heel.

Mizuki looked at the ruined duplicate scroll, covered in the ink that had been spilled. He glared daggers at the younger man. Blood oozed from the wound on his arm from the kunai. A second one appeared in his hand. He straddled the boy, pulling his head up by the hair and holding the tip of the knife against one azure eye. "Did you think I was fucking around, boy?" The tip came closer and closer to his pupil. "If you thought I was going to allow you to live after witnessing this, you surely won't live through this." Mizuki jabbed the kunai into Naruto's shoulder, twisting it to inflict maximum damage. "Do you enjoy that, you little demon? Do you enjoy the pain and suffering? I shall inflict upon you what you have inflicted upon this whole village! They will remember my name as the man who brought the demon to justice; the demon who stole the villages' most guarded secrets!"

Naruto screamed from the pain, confused as to just what exactly the man was talking about. What demon? What had he done? His attacker noticed his confusion and a dark smile spread across his features. "You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?" Naruto did his best not to say anything, but another twist of the knife brought out another scream. "Do you know the story of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, who assaulted this village sixteen years ago? It attacked on October 10th, which just so happens to be your birthday. Do you see the coincidence?"

Realization flooded Naruto. He understood the looks of disgust, dread, and fear he got every time he went somewhere public. He was the Kyuubi. He was the demon that had ruined everyone's lives and had killed so many, including the Yondaime Hokage, the hero of the village. Tears welled in his eyes, both from pain and sadness. Mizuki laughed, a terrible, hollow sound that filled the small apartment. "Yes, suffer! Suffer from the knowledge that everything is your fault, Naruto. Everything!"

Maybe it would be best to just die here, he thought. There was no one who would care for him, and he caused misery wherever he went. Maybe death was the answer that he had been searching for. Maybe death could set him free.

Just as he thought that, the pain in his head returned, stronger and faster than ever. He tried to scream, but his throat was raw. Mizuki believed it to be his doing and continued to laugh and torment the boy, this time stabbing into his thigh, widening the wound. Suddenly, the pain evaporated. Naruto felt a dam burst in his mind, and a soothing presence entered his mind. It was the same person from his dream.

"I will protect you, Naruto."

Power erupted in his body, encasing him in a glowing red sphere. His eye's rolled back into his head as he was lifted off the ground, knocking a shocked Mizuki to the ground. Before the white-haired man, the boy's wounds recovered almost instantly. His nose reset itself, and the whisker marks on his cheeks deepened and thickened. His hair grew out, the bangs reaching down past his forehead. Instead of the bright yellow it had been, it darkened until it was crimson. His nails sharpened to claws, and his body grew until it was several inches taller than Mizuki was. Muscles bulged and expanded until stopping at a size right for someone who was four or five years Naruto's elder. The chuunin could not help but stare at the spectacle before him.

When the transformation was finished, the red glow diminished but did not disappear entirely. The young man was set gently on the ground, his eyes closed and a look of peace on his face. The white haired assailant gripped the kunai in both hands, ready for any unexpected movement. When none came, he crept closer to the boy. When he was in range, he delivered a killing blow directly to the heart. But as the knife descended, the boy-turned-man's hand grabbed Mizuki's wrist, stopping the blade not an inch from his chest. Naruto's eyes shot open, revealing the once deep blue orbs had turned the same menacing red as his hair. A snarl appeared on his lips. Dozens of pointed fangs reflected the red aura around him. Were it not for the color differences, Mizuki would have sworn that he was looking at the Fourth Hokage.

The hand around his wrist tightened, and he felt more than a few bones snap under the pressure. Trying as hard as he could to free himself, Mizuki could only watch helplessly as the bones in his wrist were ground to a pulp by the immense grip being applied to it. It was everything he could do not to scream in pain. Naruto rose to his feet, never releasing his captive. When he spoke, it was not the light voice of the boy he knew, but a feminine voice that he heard. There was a bestial undertone to it, as though it was more animal than human.

"You have hurt him," the woman spoke, the sound odd coming from Naruto's body. Mizuki grimaced and tried again to pull his hand free. He reached for another kunai, but as he did so Naruto's eyes narrowed and the chuunin felt his hand begin to burn. This time, he really did scream as he watched his left hand shrivel and blister as though it was being held over an open flame. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the nerve endings in his hand had burnt to a crisp and the pain stopped.

Naruto still had not released the left hand, however, and it was with that grip that he tossed Mizuki into a wall. While the strength to perform such an action would have been admirable in its own right, the hole that the man-turned-missle left behind was even more impressive. He followed his assailant out onto the street three stories down where he lay collapsed on the ground writhing in pain. The red aura around him flashed and he levitated, gliding down from the building in a much more graceful fashion than Mizuki. The boy's face was impassive as he landed. The man on the ground sobbed as his body was wracked with spasms from pain.

The chuunin tried to make some sense of what was going on. A boy had just turned from a sniveling wreck into a monstrous force. The pressure coming from the demon carrier was massive, pushing against the man as easily as if the boy himself was doing it. It was illogical for Naruto to actually be this powerful. What had granted him such a startling change.

Recognition dawned in his eyes as he looked up at the demon staring down at him. "You're the Kyuubi," he mumbled. The faint traces of a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, but that smile never reached his cold eyes. Naruto – but was it really Naruto? - reached down and grabbed Mizuki by the throat, lifting him off the ground with little resistance. The man grabbed and tried to find a way to break the grip, but the hand was a vice. He was forced to stare down into those eyes again, eyes colored the same red as the blood that he knew would soon be spilled.

Naruto spoke, and again the feminine voice emerged. "You have harmed Naruto, whom has done nothing to you and never wished anything more than your acceptance." The hand around his throat squeezed. "There is only one punishment suitable for a pathetic excuse for a human such as you." Beneath the two of them, a small hole began to appear. It's edges glowed with the force of the ethereal magic being cast. Within, Mizuki could see the glow of fire and the howls and screams of those who had been damned there. He struggled harder to break free.

"There is a special place in Hell waiting for you, and as its queen, it is my duty to send you there." Naruto brought him closer to his face, so that he could see the full malice behind the crimson eyes. "Be damned and forgotten."

With those final words, the boy let go of his once-instructor. His screams echoed into the night. As quickly as the pit had appeared, it was replaced by solid ground. Naruto turned toward a sound, his ears turning slightly as a fox's would. Hearing the alarmed cries of those who had heard the screaming, he jumped high into the air, landing on the apartment complex's roof. From there, he made his way toward the walls of the village, staying on the rooftops and traveling at speeds that only a select few would have been able to follow. The guards would report that they had seen a crimson blur and a familiar face appear for only a slight second before passing by them.

In a small clearing far from the village he had once called home, the boy finally stopped running. Despite the hard pace, he was barely winded from the journey. He giggled to himself, a sound reminiscent of wind chimes. As he sat beneath an old oak, he stared at the moon as it began its ascent. He smiled, something both feral and calming in the expression. As he closed his eyes to sleep, the woman's voice escaped his lips again.

"You are finally safe, Naruto."


	2. Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I really want to. To much pressure from fame and fortune...

Personal Note: Yes, it has been a ridiculously long time since I've posted. College is difficult, as is starting a relationship, but I'm not going to let this story die! It may take time, but I promise I will finish this. As long as there are readers, there will be chapters released.

* * *

Naruto knew he was dreaming.

He was running down alleys in Konoha, alleys that he should have known by heart but no longer could remember which went were. Behind him, men garbed in white pursued with evil words and worse intentions. Try as he might, he could not escape them.

Taking a left down another alley, the blond came face to face with a dead end. The wall taunted him, its ledge just barely out of reach of his fingers. He turned to run down the other path, but the men in white reached him first. Four of them cut off the exit while two more walked forward. Both wore masks the same color as their clothing that hid their entire faces. The one to the left removed the mask, revealing his instructor Mizuki.

A throb began behind his eyes. He knew something was wrong here. The chuunin shouldn't be here. Something had happened that would make it impossible for him to be here. Naruto put his back against the wall, trying in vain to melt through it. Mizuki stopped halfway to the boy as the other man closed the distance. This man too removed his mask. Crimson hair framed a face that was all too familiar. Blood red eyes stared at cerulean as he scratched at the whisker marks on his cheeks. It was his own face staring at him, though it was much leaner and far more bestial.

The doppelganger grabbed Naruto by his hair, hoisting him up until the two were at eye level. The boy knew that trying to escape the man's grasp was impossible, but fear made him try anyway. His struggles brought about a grin to the elder Naruto's face. Fangs filled his mouth, each as sharp as a shuriken. The younger of the two was slammed into the wall. He felt his shoulder pop and dislocate, but try as he might to scream, no sound escaped him. Dropped to the ground, he could do little more than watch as his clone's mouth opened impossibly wide, wide enough to envelop the boy's head. He reached down, grabbed the boy, and prepared to devour him whole.

* * *

He awoke in a field of wildflowers. The sun soared joyously in the sky, a stark contrast to the dim and dirty alleyways of his dreams. But something told him that he was not quite out of his dreams yet. He lay on his back, wearing clothes that were unfamiliar to him: a dark red kimono that was trimmed in black. Surprisingly, none of the grass or flowers clung to the silk as he stood. His feet were bare, and he could feel the softness of the earth.

The field he was in stretched on to the edge of his vision; rolling hills and vibrant colors filling every possible spot they could. Though he could hear the birds in the air and the insects around him, he saw neither as he surveyed this personal paradise. A stray breeze blew petals onto his cheek. An idle scratch quickly turned to panic as he winced at the newly-formed cut. He looked at the claws his nails had become. The sight of them brought a flashback of memories: the transformation, the voice talking to him again, Mizuki's demise.

Naruto grimaced as he remembered the instructor's fear and the comments about how he was a demon. The event seemed so distant, despite the fact that he had been the one to cast the chuunin down. That thought brought upon another, more worrying one: who was this woman that had taken control of his body? The loss of personal reign brought a sinking feeling to his stomach. He could see all of the things he had done; he could recall of the smells, sounds, and emotions, but they were fuzzy.

A laugh broke his train of thought and he set about finding it. Whoever it was, there was at least someone in this place who might provide him with some answers.

Cresting a hill, he saw a small wooden table placed next to a crystalline lake. Much like with the birds, Naruto could hear the splashing of frogs and other animals, but the lake's surface remained smooth. Next to the table sat a lone figure. He could not make much of her, except for the cream-colored kimono she wore and the long, flowing red hair. He at once knew it was the same woman from his dreams. Just the sight of her eased many of the troubles from his mind. Petals and blades of grass flew as he ran to meet the woman.

As he approached her, he noticed a sound in the air that he had not heard earlier. It was a song, soft and light with an angelic tone that enraptured him and held his attention fully. The notes relaxed his body, and he slowed his descent just shy of the table. The woman still did not turn to face him, continuing with her song as she pulled a flower from the ground. Her other hand stroked the surface of the lake, the only sign of disturbance upon the water.

Naruto shuffled to a stop at the edge of the table within reaching distance of the mysterious woman. She made no recognition of his presence. Delicate fingers pulled up a nearby flower, and one by one, she plucked the petals from it's bud until none remained. Once finished, she threw the remaining piece of the flower into the water. Rather than land and float upon it's surface, the stem vanished immediately upon contact. Naruto noticed that an exact replica of the flower appeared in the exact same spot simultaneously with the first's disappearance.

With her little display over the woman stopped singing, and the feeling returned to his limbs. A dull ache in his ears throbbed at the lack of music. Naruto tried to speak, but as he opened his mouth, the woman patted to the spot beside her. He obliged, sitting himself next to her. Hair still covered her eyes, much like it had during their first meeting. A smile graced her full lips, and for the first time he noticed just how beautiful she was. Her hair reached to ground, and black tips covered the ends. It framed her face, giving a heart shape to her elegant features. The kimono she wore accentuated every curve of her body, revealing just enough for the imagination to fill in the rest. Ivory skin winked at him in the sunlight, though he did not miss the claws that replaced her nails on her hands.

The smile became a smirk as Naruto realized he was staring. Though his body was that of a man's, his mind was still a teen's. Blood rushed to his face, and he turned away in an attempt to hide it. A giggle escaped the woman. He turned to her again as she faced him fully. Brushing her hair aside, she finally revealed her eyes. Crimson, just as he knew his own were. However, looking into them he became enthralled. The red stretched on forever, and he soon found himself lost within them. He was broken from his reverie when she spoke, and he knew then that this was the same woman who had warned him in his dreams; the same woman had used his body to punish Mizuki.

"Naruto," she said. The warmth and emotion behind the voice was evident, even as the smile she wore widened and reached her eyes. "Naruto, we can finally meet. It has been so long since last I have fully seen you." A tear appeared at the corner of her eye, and he instinctively reached out to wipe it away. Her skin was warm, and he was tempted to never let go until she folded his hand within hers. "I doubt that you know who I am, where we are, or why we are meeting like this. I will do the best I can to explain what is happening." She looked across the lake, gazing at something that he could not see. A breeze picked up and out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the silhouette of someone standing in the distance.

Her gaze returned to his. Despite her beauty and his earlier actions, Naruto still felt a sense of unease about her. He knew of women who used their looks to trick others into traps or other misfortunes. Who was this woman and what did she want?The smile on the stranger's face saddened as she looked into her lap. "To answer your first question," she said, startling Naruto so much that he pulled his hand away from her and rose to his feet. The woman gave a knowing smile, as though she expected him to do just that. "To answer your first question," she repeated. "I am the Harbinger of Destruction, the Queen of the Damned, and the Nine-Tailed Demon. I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

As she said this, nine tails the same color as her hair appeared from beneath her clothing. Naruto scrambled backwards, knocking into the table and tipping it and himself over. A gasp escaped the Kyuubi and she rushed to help him, but as she got near the boy pushed her away.

"Now I get it," he said, emotion filling his voice. "I get why everyone hated me. I get what Mizuki said to me. I am you, and you are me. I am a demon." He heard a soft sound. The Kyuubi was crying, tears streaming down her face as she fell to her knees in the grass. Sadness and guilt overwhelmed him. For whatever reason, he could not see this woman break down in good conscience. Picking himself up off the ground, he hesitated before doing much else. A strange force tugged on his hand, pulling it toward the crying fox. Almost against his own will, he knelt down next to her and embraced her.

The Kyuubi went rigged. Before long, though, she gave in to him and rested against his shoulder, drying her tears on his robe, which remained dry. "I don't know why I'm doing this," Naruto said, finding the words leaving his mouth before he really had a chance to think of them. "But something tells me to give you a chance to explain things." The woman wiped away her remaining tears and looked up at him, her eyes filled with... hope? He could not place what exactly she felt then.

She broke away from him and readied herself, beginning again with her introduction. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I am the same demon that attacked Konoha sixteen years ago. Though many believed me killed, the truth is much more unfortunate. Due to my powers, no mortal could ever kill me. The Fourth Hokage took it upon himself to seal me away, sacrificing his own soul to do so. However, only those of a special clan, the Uzumaki clan, could contain my power within them. And of them, only an Uzumaki who is still an infant can withstand the assault that would take place upon their body." The wheels in his head began turning as Naruto put two and two together.

"I am the one who was chosen to be the container, wasn't I?" The Kyuubi nodded as he digested the information given to him. He was from a clan, and he was responsible for containing the Kyuubi within himself. However, this information brought about a long list of new questions. "Then who were my parents? What happened to them? And why did you attack the village?"

A pained and hurt look appeared on the beautiful face of the woman. She stared at her feet as she explained to the boy. "Your mother was my previous container, Uzumaki Kushina." At the sound of the name, the breeze within the field picked up again, tousling the robes that both of them wore. He felt a strange presence at the back of his mind, but rather than pain like the first one had been, this one was warm and soothing. Naruto shook it off as he returned to what the Kyuubi was saying.

"Your mother was one of the strongest women in her time. She was not just the container for the Kyuubi, but also the matriarch of the Uzumaki clan." The woman smiled fondly as she remembered the details. "Rather than abuse the powers granted to her from my containment, she forsook them in hopes of building her own personal strength. She was a great ninja, a better woman, and..." The Kyuubi's voice trailed off. "And she was the loving wife of the Fourth Hokage."

The information hit Naruto like a hammer. His father was the Fourth Hokage. He was the son of the greatest warrior Konoha, if not the world, had ever seen. Rather than some no-name orphan, he was in fact the heir to greatest shinobi legacy that could possibly have existed. But the joy he felt in knowing who he was was quickly replaced with a growing dread.

"Both of them are dead. My parents died to stop you." The fox demon could only nod as fresh tears streamed down her face. Anger flooded him as he saw red. He bolted forward, gripping the Kyuubi by her shoulders. "Why did you attack then?! If you were contained, why are both of my parents dead?!" He ignored the tears as he shook her violently. She did not protest or attempt to stop him, but instead stood with her head bowed. The wind whipped around them, faster and faster as a red aura grew around him. The woman visibly wilted as the field around did the same. The sky turned dark and the sun dimmed as the flowers and grass became gray and ashen.

Naruto could feel the presence from before but ignored it, concentrating on hurting the person in front of him. Cuts lashed open on both of them. All he could think of was tearing the demon apart, the demon that had hurt him in so many ways. Power surged through him as the aura around him enveloped his prisoner. She cried out in pain as it did, the wounds on her body growing.

With a loud crack, both Naruto and the Kyuubi flew backwards, he more so than her. He landed flat on his back, rolling several feet away. She landed only a foot away, collapsing into a heap as she did so. As quickly as the anger and rage had come they vanished, leaving him with an empty void. Everything around him returned to the way it had been, except for the spot where they had been standing. There, a black ring of scorched earth showed exactly what had happened. But the more curious thing was the faint shape of a woman floating over the mark. He felt disappointment radiating from her and directed at him. He blinked once, and the form faded away.

When he got to his feet, he moved to help the fallen woman get to hers. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, unsure of whether she would accept his apology or not. The woman nodded to his apology, and he noticed that both of their wounds had healed. The Kyuubi moved to sit at the edge of the lake, pulling Naruto along with her.

"Your parents died because of complications while you were being born, Naruto." She continued to explain despite what had just occurred. "The day you left your mother's womb, your heart had stopped beating, and you weren't breathing. No matter what procedure was tried, nothing could get you to come back. So your mother suggested moving myself from her to you. Due to the nature of the seal, the container can recover from almost any wound and regenerate limbs. There was no evidence to suggest that it would work on a stillborn, but your mother threatened to kill herself if they did not try."

A cold chill ran through him as Naruto heard how close he had been to dying. Instinctively, he squeezed the woman's hand, which he had not let go of since helping her off the ground. The action brought a small smile to her face, but it was quickly replaced with a dark scowl. "However, someone interfered with the sealing process. I was released prematurely from the seal. My body acted of it's own accord and attacked anything nearby, presuming that all close were enemies." This time it was she who squeezed Naruto's hand. "In order to stop me, your father used a different sealing technique to place me inside of you. The seal worked, and you began breathing, crying for all the world to hear. However, the man who interrupted came to kill you, and your mother gave her life to allow another to take you away and hide."

She grew silent as her words sank into him. Someone, not the Kyuubi, had killed his mother and caused the death of his father. His free hand formed a fist, forgetting about the sharp claws on the ends of his fingers and drawing blood. The same red aura appeared around him, and he stood as the power flowed through him. The Kyuubi gasped and grasped at her chest. Rather than the field dying, it did just the opposite, flowers blooming and grass rocketing upward. A verdant jungle appeared around them, covering their view of the sky. The feeling inside of Naruto was one of revenge, and he directed outward. The red aura around him exploded, enveloping everything around him. Anything touched by it was returned to its original state, including the woman beside him.

His hands shook from the release of power. The Kyuubi said nothing. She watched as he slowly sat down, taking long, deep breaths to calm himself. When he had settled himself, she continued. "Since that time, I have been inside you, healing you when you were injured and helping where I could. The seal was designed so that, when you were eighteen, we would establish contact as we are now and I would make you aware of what was going on. Unfortunately, your life was in such danger that I had to speed up your biological clock to make the seal think that you were of age." She examined him closely, paying attention to his eyes, hair, claws, and whisker marks. "The energy I filled you with was purely demonic, so it had some effect upon your body."

Naruto took the time to look at himself in the lake's reflection. His eyes seemed alien and foreign, as though their crimson depths held an entirely different person. Thanks to the growth and color of his hair, he did look like a completely different person. The whiskers on his cheeks were darker and more refined and were sensitive to his touch. "Wait, you said that you could heal almost any wounds. Why did you have to go to such extremes this time?"

A look of malice passed over the woman's face. She stared at her reflection in the lake. "While it is true I can heal your wounds, what Mizuki would have done was much worse." She spat the name out as though it were poison. "His plan was to have you framed for taking the Forbidden Scroll. While the village couldn't kill you for fear of releasing me, it is entirely possible that they would have kept you contained within a cell, living the rest of your life without ever seeing sunlight or a friendly face." Naruto huffed at her last comment. It wasn't like he was seeing many friendly faces before the incident. The woman noticed and placed a tender hand on his cheek. He could feel the warmth that seemed to radiate from her, not heat but a sense of peace.

"So what are we going to do now? It's not as though we can just go back to Konoha and pretend none of this happened." The Kyuubi nodded, and with a snap of her fingers a map of the world appeared in the air. It showed every nation and, more importantly, the location of every hidden village that they contained. Naruto examined the map and noticed that several villages were crossed out and some were circled. "Why is this so marked?"

The Kyuubi brought the map closer and began to explain. "You are not a ninja, so technically any of these villages is an option for us. However, some are better choices than others. Kumo and Iwa are both currently hostile to Konoha, and if they managed to discover where you came from it could have unfortunate consequences." Naruto nodded, understanding the caution. He pointed to the two other villages. "Kiri and Suna are the other options. Suna is technically allied with Konoha, and if word of your departure reaches them, they will be obligated to return you. However, Kiri has no ties to any village currently, and of all the villages it is the one where you will most likely be able to find a new life. The land of Water well known for having a variety of bloodline limits, so it is possible to play off your appearance as one." With another snap of her fingers, the scroll rolled into itself, disappearing without a trace.

Naruto rubbed his temples, all of the previous day's events finally starting to take their toll on his young mind. Now he had to figure out how he was going to get to Kiri and assimilate himself with the rest of the population. It was too much for the teenager. He laid back in the grass, enjoying the breeze that was blowing over him. It was to his surprise when he felt a weight press on his chest. The Kyuubi had put her head against him, resting with a contented smile. He was startled at first, but found that he was quickly getting used to the woman's intimacy, though he didn't quite understand why he was so comfortable with her.

"So it's off to Kiri then," he said, talking to both her and himself. She nodded into his chest, refusing to move from her position. Unknowingly he put a hand on her head and pet her, feeling the soft silk of her hair as he did. A purring sound escaped her, but she seemed to pay it no heed. A thought occurred to him as they lie there. "Is Kyuubi your actual name, or is it just your title?" He felt her stiffen and was afraid he had touched upon a sore subject when he saw her blush. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, hesitant to upset her.

"No, it is nothing, and it will seem very insignificant when you hear it." She looked away from him, playing with a blade of grass. "My name is impossible to pronounce in the human tongue, but the closest approximation would be..." she trailed off. Naruto waited patiently, sure that she would tell him when she wanted to. He continued to stroke her hair, the sense of peace that she was giving off never having wavered for a second. "My name in your tongue would be Kurama," she said finally, hiding her face in his kimono. He was about to laugh at her antics, but then thought better of it, afraid to have her think he was laughing at her. He lifted her face off his chest, staring into her eyes. Red gazed at red as the two were lost in each other. Finally, it was the Kyuubi who broke their silence. "It is a man's name, and while it is petty, I still feel embarrassment at having such a name."

Naruto smiled at her, one of the first real ones that he had given anyone in a long time. He held her hands tight. "If you do not like your current name, then why don't we change it?" When she looked at him with confusion, he continued. "As you said, Kurama would be the closest that I could come to pronouncing your real name, so why don't we give you a real human name for you to use?" Her eyes lit up at the thought and she hugged him tightly, letting her emotions get the best of her as all of her dignified manner left. He hugged her back, still getting used to the idea of having a woman this close to him but rapidly finding he enjoyed such contact. He mulled it about in his mind for a bit before finding the perfect name for her.

"Akane." Just the sound of the name sent shivers through the woman in his arms, and he knew he had found the right name. "From now on, your name shall be Akane." The woman nodded into his chest, sounding the name out for herself. He felt good to have brought some form of happiness to her. As he lay back again, Akane still on his chest, he drifted off to sleep, finding himself happy for the first time in a long time.

When he opened his eyes in the real world, he woke up to the sight of steel.


End file.
